1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technical field of pressing heat-softened material to mold an optical component using a mold divided into a first mold (a lower mold) and a second mold (an upper mold) which face each other, more specifically, a mold for an optical component and a method for molding an optical component to achieve a molding process with high accuracy.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, a highly accurate molding process is required for an optical lens (an optical component) with advanced functions has been developed. Therefore, studies of molding techniques are promoted to meet the requirement. In particular, to mold an optical lens, a technology for highly accurately centering a mold (a first mold and a second mold) which is repeatedly closed and opened is one of essential molding technologies.
Here, to center a mold means to align rotational symmetry axes of the first mold (a lower mold) for molding a first lens surface of the optical lens and the second mold (an upper mold) for molding a second lens surface of the optical lens in a state where the mold is closed.
To achieve centering of a mold with high accuracy, conventionally, a technology is well-known in which a tapered surface is provided on each of the first mold and the second mold and the tapered surfaces fit onto each other when the first mold and the second mold are in a state where the mold is closed (See JP2001-341134A).